JPH10321706A - Carrier placing mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrier placing mechanism which does not hinder a carrier transfer by reducing a space for installation of a wafer detecting unit and can surely detect the presence or absence of a wafer with high accuracy, irrespective of the optical accuracy of a carrier. SOLUTION: In this mechanism 10, wafer-detecting means 14 for detecting each wafer in a carrier main body 21 on a carrier rest 11 is provided on the carrier rest 11. In the wafer-detecting means 14, a light-emitting element 14A and a lightreceiving element 14B are disposed above and below a wafer. A holding body 14C holds these elements 14A, 14B and is driven by an air cylinder 14E between the position, where the wafer is sandwiched and the outside of the carrier body 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a carrier mounting mechanism used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and more particularly, to a carrier mounting mechanism attached to various processing apparatuses for semiconductor wafers (hereinafter, simply referred to as "wafers"). About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a carrier is used when a semiconductor wafer is transferred between semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses or inspection apparatuses. For example, 25 or 1 in the carrier
Three wafers can be stored. For example, wafers are stored in carriers in lot units, and various processing is performed on the wafers.
I am going to inspect. In various processes, for example, a carrier is mounted on a carrier mounting mechanism of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a wafer map in the carrier is created, various processes are performed according to the wafer map, and process data is recorded. Like that. In preparing this wafer map or in checking whether all wafers have been removed from the carrier, it is necessary to detect whether or not a wafer exists in each slot in the carrier.

For this reason, the carrier mounting mechanism has conventionally been equipped with a wafer detecting device for optically detecting a wafer using, for example, a light emitting element and a light receiving element. One type of such a wafer detecting device has, for example, a light emitting element and a light receiving element arranged to face each other on the upper and lower sides or on the left and right sides of the carrier, and installs the carrier between the two elements to detect a wafer in the carrier. Type (hereinafter, referred to as a “confronting wafer detection device”). In the case of the confronting type, a light beam is emitted from a light emitting element toward a light receiving element facing the light emitting element, and the presence or absence of a wafer in each slot in the carrier is detected by the presence or absence of the detection of the emitted light by the light receiving element.
Other models include, for example, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element arranged on the same side, and a reflecting mirror arranged at a position facing both of them (hereinafter referred to as a "reflective wafer detecting apparatus"). ). In the case of the reflection type, a light beam is emitted from the light emitting element toward the reflecting mirror, and the presence or absence of the wafer in the carrier is detected by detecting whether or not the light receiving element detects the reflected light from the reflecting mirror.

At present, 6 inches or 8 inches of wafers are the mainstream, but there is a tendency to shift to 12 inches (300 mm) wafers at a stretch. Along with this, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus corresponding to a 12-inch wafer is being developed. In this case, not only does the wafer increase in diameter and weight but also the line width of the integrated circuit formed on the wafer becomes an ultra-fine structure of sub-quarter microns or less. It is becoming more and more important to use technology for making semiconductor devices and technology for automatically transporting wafers, and to save space in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and inspection equipment. In this way, as the diameter of wafers increases, automation of semiconductor manufacturing is further promoted, and the situation in which an operator intervenes is reduced. As a result, detection of wafers in a carrier on a carrier mounting portion is more important than ever. become.

[0005] The conventional carrier itself cannot be applied as it is. For example, up to an 8-inch wafer, it is common practice to transport the carrier with the wafer upright when transporting the wafer between each process, and to level the wafer when loading and unloading the semiconductor manufacturing equipment in each process. there were. However, in the case of a 12-inch (300 mm) wafer, if the wafer is transported while standing, the lower end of the wafer may be damaged due to its own weight or vibration during transport, so the carrier is transported while the wafer is horizontal. However, when carrying in and out of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in each process, it is performed in a horizontal state as it is. At present, as a carrier for a 12-inch (300 mm) wafer, for example, an open type carrier and a closed type pod (for example, a unified pod) in which the carrier is housed in a pod and covered with a lid are roughly divided. It is considered.

Regardless of which carrier is used, as the size of the carrier increases with the wafer, the unit cost of the wafer increases dramatically, and the processing for the wafer is performed without error. It is necessary to accurately grasp the wafer map in the carrier or to reliably detect the presence or absence of a wafer in the carrier.

[0007]

However, in the case of the conventional carrier mounting mechanism, there are various problems since the wafer in the carrier is detected by the facing or reflection type wafer detecting device. For example, when detecting a wafer in a carrier using a confronting wafer detection device,
Since the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are arranged to face each other on the upper and lower sides or on the right and left of the carrier transport path or the installation location, the wafer detecting device may sometimes hinder the transport of the carrier. Further, the carrier is not optically molded with high precision, and the light axis from the light emitting element may be distorted when the light passes through the carrier. There is no guarantee that the irradiation light from the light receiving device can be accurately received by the light receiving element disposed with the carrier interposed therebetween. Furthermore, since the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are arranged to face each other, a unique space must be allocated to each of the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element, and in consideration of future space saving, a space specific to each element must be allocated. Is not preferred. On the other hand, when a wafer in a carrier is detected using a reflection type wafer detection device, it is not possible to distinguish between light reflected from a reflecting mirror and light reflected from a wafer, and the presence or absence of a wafer is erroneously detected. There is a fear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and does not hinder the carrier conveyance by reducing the installation space for the wafer detection device, and is influenced by the optical precision of the carrier. It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier mounting mechanism capable of reliably detecting the presence or absence of a wafer without high accuracy.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier mounting mechanism for mounting a plurality of semiconductor wafers on a mounting unit in a carrier unit in order to perform a predetermined process on a semiconductor wafer. In the mounting mechanism, wafer detecting means for detecting each semiconductor wafer in the carrier on the mounting part is provided on the mounting part, and the wafer detecting means is located at a position sandwiching both surfaces of the semiconductor wafer when detecting the semiconductor wafer. It is characterized by having a light emitting element and a light receiving element arranged, a holder for holding both elements, and a drive mechanism for driving the holder between a position sandwiching the semiconductor wafer and the outside of the carrier. Things.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier mounting mechanism for mounting a plurality of semiconductor wafers on a mounting unit in a carrier unit in order to perform a predetermined process on a semiconductor wafer. A wafer detection unit for detecting each semiconductor wafer in the carrier on the mounting unit is provided on the mounting unit, and the wafer detection unit is disposed at a position sandwiching the peripheral surface when the semiconductor wafer is detected. A light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and a holder for holding both of these elements,
A drive mechanism for driving the holder between a position sandwiching the semiconductor wafer and the outside of the carrier is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier mounting mechanism for mounting a plurality of semiconductor wafers on a mounting unit in units of carriers in order to perform a predetermined process on the semiconductor wafer. A wafer detecting means for detecting each semiconductor wafer in the carrier on the mounting part, the wafer detecting means being arranged at a position facing the peripheral surface when detecting the semiconductor wafer; A light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, a holder for holding both elements, and a drive mechanism for driving the holder between a detection position of the semiconductor wafer and the outside of the carrier. is there.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier mounting mechanism according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the holder is configured to emit light corresponding to each of the semiconductor wafers. And a light receiving element.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carrier mounting mechanism according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the driving mechanism includes the light emitting element and the light receiving element. It has a scanning mechanism for scanning between each semiconductor wafer.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in FIGS. The carrier mounting mechanism 10 of the present embodiment mounts the wafer W in a state housed in the carrier 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, so as to prepare for a predetermined processing of the wafer W in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 30. Is configured. That is, the carrier mounting mechanism 10 is driven under the control of a controller (not shown) of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 30. The carrier 20 is composed of, for example, 13 or 2 wafers of 12 inches (300 mm).
It is configured as a closed pod formed of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate or PEEK (polyetheretherketone) for accommodating five sheets. This carrier 2
Reference numeral 0 denotes a carrier body 21 for accommodating thirteen wafers W at regular intervals, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, and a lid detachably attached to a wafer outlet of the carrier body 21. 22. A grasped portion 23 is attached to the upper wall 21A of the carrier body 21, and the grasped portion 23 is grasped by a carrier transport device (not shown) arranged on the ceiling to transfer the carrier 20 between the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. It is automatically transported. Further, for example, nitrogen gas is sealed in the carrier 20 to prevent natural oxidation of the wafer as much as possible and to make the inside clean. A groove 21C is formed on the inner surface of the side wall 21B of the carrier body 21 as shown in FIG.
To support the wafer W horizontally.

Further, as shown in FIG.
An opening 32 into which the lid 22 of the carrier 20 is fitted is formed in the front panel 31 of the “0”, and the carrier mounting mechanism 10 of the present embodiment is disposed corresponding to the opening 32. A relay chamber (not shown) for the wafer W is disposed at the back (right side in FIG. 1) of the carrier mounting mechanism 10, and the lid 21 is removed via a wafer transfer mechanism disposed in the relay chamber. , All the wafers W in the carrier body 21 are collectively transferred into the relay room. Then, the wafer W
The device waits for a predetermined process while being held by the wafer transfer mechanism, and holds the processed wafer W by the wafer transfer mechanism.

Next, the carrier mounting mechanism 1 of the present embodiment
0 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carrier mounting mechanism 10 mounts the carrier 20 and, with respect to the opening 32 of the front panel 31, uses an arrow A in FIG.
Mounting table 11 that reciprocates in the direction, a base 12 that supports the carrier mounting table 11 so as to be able to reciprocate, and an opener 13 that is disposed inside the base 12 (the inner side of the front panel 31). It has. As shown in FIG. 1, positioning protrusions 11A are formed at, for example, four places on the upper surface of the carrier mounting table 11, and positioning recesses 21D corresponding to these positioning protrusions 11A are formed on the bottom surface of the carrier main body 21. I have. Accordingly, when the carrier 10 is mounted on the carrier mounting table 11 with the positioning recess 21B aligned with the positioning projection 11A, the carrier 20 can be positioned on the carrier mounting table 11. The opener 13 includes a lid holder 13A that sucks and holds the lid 22 of the carrier 20, a support 13B that supports the lid holder 13A, and an air cylinder 13C that moves the support 13B up and down. . The support 13B slightly swings in the direction of arrow B in FIG. Although not shown, a lock operation mechanism for operating the lock mechanism of the lid 22 is built in the holding body 13A.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer detector 14 for detecting a wafer W stored in the carrier body 21 is provided inside the base 12. The support 13B is disposed so as to be deviated laterally. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the wafer detecting device 14 is an optical sensor which is an optical sensor disposed at a position sandwiching both sides of each wafer W stored at a predetermined interval in the carrier main body 21 from above and below. Element 14A
And a light receiving element 14B, a holder 14C for holding the two elements 14A and 14B, a cylinder rod 14D connected to the holder 14C, and a cylinder rod 14D.
Has an air cylinder 14E that reciprocates between a position sandwiching the wafer W (detection position) and a retreat position outside the carrier 20. Further, the holding body 14C is configured to be rotatable (for example, swinging forward and backward) by 90 ° at the upper end of the cylinder rod 14C via a motor, for example.

The holding body 14C has a plurality of protrusions 14F formed in a comb shape, and is formed so that each protrusion 14F can be inserted into the upper and lower sides of each wafer W. Then, in a state where each projection 14F enters between the wafers W,
A slight gap is formed between the light emitting element 14A and the wafer W and between the light receiving element 14B and the wafer W. Each light emitting element 14A is disposed, for example, on the lower surface of each projection 14F, and a light receiving element 14B corresponding to each light receiving element 14A is disposed on the upper surface of each projection 14F. Then, each projection 14F of the holder 14C is connected to each wafer W
In the interposed state, each light emitting element 14A and each light receiving element 14B operate under the control of a sensor controller (not shown), and each light emitting element 14A emits a light beam L as shown in FIG. Light receiving element 1 corresponding to element 14A
The mapping operation of the wafer W is performed by detecting the presence or absence of each wafer W by detecting the light beam L at 4B. The uppermost projection 14F has a light emitting element 14A disposed only on the lower surface, and the lowermost projection 14F has a light receiving element 14B disposed only on the upper surface.

Therefore, each wafer W is detected by the wafer detecting device 14.
1 is detected, for example, after the holding body 14C rises from the retracted position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2 to the height of the inspection position shown by the solid line via the air cylinder 14E, and is rotated 90 ° via the motor, as shown in FIG. As shown, each projection 14F enters between each wafer W, and each light emitting element 14A and each light receiving element 14B sandwich the wafer W. After the inspection is completed, the holder 14C returns from the inspection position to the retracted position by performing the reverse operation.

Next, the operation will be described. For example, a carrier transport mechanism (not shown) transports the carrier 20 to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 30, and transports the carrier 20 with reference to the positioning protrusion 11 </ b> A of the carrier mounting mechanism 10.
1 on top. After that, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 30 is driven under the control of the controller. That is, the carrier mounting table 11
Is moved via the drive mechanism and fitted into the opening 32 of the front panel 31, the carrier mounting table 11 stops at that position.

Next, the air cylinder 13 of the opener 13
C is driven, and the lid holder 13A rises via the support 13B and is attracted to the lid 22 of the carrier 20. In this state, when the lock operation mechanism is driven to release the lock mechanism of the lid 22, the air cylinder 13C is driven again, and the lid holder 13A is driven.
Is lowered while holding the lid 22, the lid 22 is removed from the carrier main body 21, and reaches the position shown in FIGS.
It waits until the detection operation and the transfer operation are completed.

Thereafter, the air cylinder 14E of the wafer detecting device 14 is driven, and the holder 14A rises from the retracted position shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2 to the inspection position shown by the solid line and stops. Immediately after stopping, the motor for swinging is driven to hold the holder 14.
A rotates 90 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 2, and each projection 14F of the holder 14A enters between the wafers W accommodated in the carrier main body 21 as shown in FIG. 14A and the light receiving element 14B each wafer W
Sandwich. In this state, the sensor controller operates and emits a light beam L from each light emitting element 14A. At this time, if the wafer W is interposed between the two devices 14A and 14B, the light receiving device 14
B does not receive the light beam L from the light emitting element 14A,
To detect the presence of If the wafer W does not intervene between the two devices 14A and 14B, the light receiving device 14B
The light beam L from A is received, and the absence of the wafer W is detected. Through this series of operations, the presence or absence of the wafer W in each slot of the carrier main body 21 is detected, and the wafer mapping operation ends.

When the mapping operation is completed, the holder 14C of the wafer detecting device 14 is rotated in the reverse direction by 90 ° via a motor, and then the air cylinder 14E is driven to rotate the holder 1C.
4C returns to the original evacuation position. When the holder 14C retracts from the carrier main body 21, the wafer transfer mechanism in the relay chamber (not shown) is driven to collectively transfer the wafers W.
Transfer from inside to the relay room. After the transfer of the wafer W, the opener 13 is driven to attach the lid 22 to the carrier body 21 and close the wafer outlet. After a while, each wafer W
Is completed, the wafer W is returned to the inside of the carrier main body 21 by the operation reverse to the above-described case, and the wafer outlet is closed.

According to the present embodiment as described above,
Since the wafer detection device 14 is installed inside the carrier mounting mechanism 10, the dead space of the opener 13 can be effectively used as the installation space for the wafer detection device 14, and the installation space for the wafer detection device 14 can be reduced. In addition, the wafer detection device 14 does not interfere with the carrier conveyance because the wafer detection device 14 does not interfere with the carrier path of the carrier 20. In addition, since the light beam L of the light emitting element 14A of the wafer detection device 14 is directly applied to the wafer W, the presence / absence of the wafer W can be accurately and reliably determined without being affected by the optical precision of the synthetic resin of the carrier 20. Can be detected.

The wafer detecting device 14 of the carrier mounting mechanism of the present invention may be the one shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. In the following description, the same or corresponding parts as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and each component will be described. The wafer detecting device 14 shown in FIG. 5 includes, for example, a light emitting element 14A and a light receiving element 14B corresponding to each wafer W stored in a carrier main body (not shown),
4A and 14B, and a holder 1C
An air cylinder (not shown) for raising and lowering the 4C and a holding body 14C raised by the air cylinder
And a drive mechanism for moving forward and backward in the direction of the arrow in FIG. As shown in the drawing, the holding body 14C is formed in a substantially U-shape having a pair of left and right protrusions 14F, 14F, and is configured to sandwich the peripheral surface of the wafer W from the left and right sides by the left and right protrusions 14F, 14F. Have been. A light-emitting element 14A and a light-receiving element 14B are provided inside each of the projections 14F, 14F so as to face each other.
The presence or absence of the wafer W is detected by 4B. The driving mechanism for moving the holding body 14C forward and backward is, for example, integrally moving the holding body 14C and the air cylinder in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 with respect to the base of the carrier mounting mechanism, or moving only the holding body 14C. What is necessary is just to be able to swing in the direction of the arrow in FIG. In the case of the wafer detection device 14 of the present embodiment, when the holder 14C is at the inspection position and emits the light beam L from the light emitting element 14A, if the light receiving element 14B receives the light beam L, the absence of the wafer W is detected. If the light beam L is not received by the light receiving element 14B, the light beam L is blocked by the wafer W, and the wafer W
Can be detected. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the same operation and effect as in the above embodiment can be expected.

The wafer detecting device 14 shown in FIG.
For example, a light emitting element 14A and a light receiving element 14B corresponding to each wafer W stored in a carrier body (not shown),
Holder 14C holding both elements 14A, 14B
And an air cylinder (not shown) for raising and lowering the holder 14C. As shown in the figure, the holder 14C is provided with a pair of light emitting elements 14A and light receiving elements 14B arranged in a horizontal direction and corresponding to each wafer W in the carrier main body, and irradiates from each light emitting element 14A. The light beam L reflected from the peripheral surface of the wafer W is received by the corresponding light receiving element 14B. In the case of this embodiment,
When the holder 14C is at the inspection position and emits a light beam L from the light emitting element 14A, the light receiving element 14B detects the presence of the wafer W if the light receiving element 14B receives the light beam L, and if the light receiving element 14B does not receive the light beam L, the wafer W The absence of W will be detected. Therefore, in this embodiment, the same operation and effect as those of the above embodiments can be expected.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the light emitting element and the light receiving element corresponding to each wafer in the carrier main body are provided on the holder, but in the present invention, only the light emitting element and the light receiving element are provided on the holder only in a pair. In addition, a scanning mechanism for the holder may be provided to detect a wafer in the carrier body while scanning the holder from below to above or from above to below. In this case, since a scanning mechanism is provided, the driving mechanism of the holder becomes complicated. On the other hand, it is only necessary to provide a pair of light emitting elements and light receiving elements, so that the configuration of the optical sensor portion can be simplified. Further, although the air cylinder 14E has been described as a driving mechanism of the holding body 14C, it goes without saying that a driving mechanism other than the air cylinder may be used.

[0028]

According to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the installation space of the wafer detecting device so as not to hinder the carrier conveyance and to improve the optical accuracy of the carrier. It is possible to provide a carrier mounting mechanism that can reliably detect the presence or absence of a wafer with high accuracy without being affected by the condition.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing one embodiment of a carrier mounting mechanism of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state where a wafer in a carrier main body is detected by using a wafer detection device.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a state in which a holder of the wafer detection apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has been raised to a wafer inspection position, as viewed from the inside of a carrier mounting mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of the wafer detection device shown in FIG. 1 taken out.

4 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating operations of a light emitting element and a light receiving element of the wafer detection device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a main part of another embodiment of the carrier mounting mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 5, showing still another embodiment of the carrier mounting mechanism of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Carrier mounting mechanism 11 Carrier mounting table (mounting section) 14 Wafer detecting device (wafer detecting means) 14A Light emitting element 14B Light receiving element 14C Holder 14E Air cylinder (drive mechanism) 14F Projection W Wafer L Light beam

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A carrier mounting mechanism for mounting a plurality of semiconductor wafers on a mounting unit for each carrier in order to perform predetermined processing on the semiconductor wafers, wherein each semiconductor wafer in the carrier on the mounting unit is detected. A wafer detecting means is provided on the mounting portion, and the wafer detecting means includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element which are respectively arranged at positions sandwiching both surfaces of the semiconductor wafer when detecting the semiconductor wafer, and a holder for holding both of these elements. A carrier mechanism for driving the holder between a position sandwiching the semiconductor wafer and the outside of the carrier. 2. A carrier mounting mechanism for mounting a plurality of semiconductor wafers on a mounting unit in carrier units in order to perform predetermined processing on the semiconductor wafers, wherein each of the semiconductor wafers in the carrier on the mounting unit is detected. A light-emitting element and a light-receiving element disposed at positions sandwiching a peripheral surface of the semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is detected, and a holder for holding both of these elements. And a drive mechanism for driving the holder between a position sandwiching the semiconductor wafer and the outside of the carrier. 3. A carrier mounting mechanism for mounting a plurality of semiconductor wafers on a mounting unit for each carrier in order to perform a predetermined process on the semiconductor wafer, wherein each semiconductor wafer in the carrier on the mounting unit is detected. A light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, each of which is disposed at a position facing a peripheral surface of the semiconductor wafer when the semiconductor wafer is detected, and a holding unit that holds both of these elements. A carrier mounting mechanism comprising: a body; and a drive mechanism for driving the holding body between a position where the semiconductor wafer is detected and the outside of the carrier. 4. The carrier mounting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the holder has a light emitting element and a light receiving element corresponding to each of the semiconductor wafers. 5. The carrier mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism has a scanning mechanism for scanning the light emitting element and the light receiving element between the semiconductor wafers. Mounting mechanism.